The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site welcomes Homo Naledi home to the Maropeng Official Visitor’s Centre

An amazing new addition to Maropeng Official Visitor Centre's brand new exhibition space ‘The Gallery’, is the astonishing ‘Almost Human’ Exhibition...

This world first exhibit tracks the incredible story of the Rising Star cave and the extraordinary discovery of a new hominin species made by Professor Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand.

Join the journey – From the discovery itself; to the ongoing research on this new hominin, you can be part of this fascinating story that has gripped the world. Visit the original Homo naledi exhibition to view this find and the brand new discovery all at Maropeng Official Visitor’s Centre.

Entry to ‘Almost Human’ is included in the standard ticket price for the existing Maropeng Official Visitor Centre’s exhibition experience – the 2500 sqm interactive exhibition comes complete with an underground lake boat ride and a vortex to take you through the big bang experience that changed the world millions of years ago. All tours are guided and open at 09h00 with the last tour departing at 16h00.

“Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site, and a premier tourism destination…”

Spend some time at Maropeng Official Visitor Centre’s walking trail with over 60 species of birds to discover. Enjoy one of the restaurants’ delicious meals whilst overlooking the Magaliesburg and Witwatersberg mountain ranges. For the complete experience, combine a tour of Maropeng Official Visitor’s Centre with one at the Sterkfontein Caves for a bit of underground exploration and adventure! You can even spend the night at the Maropeng Official Visitor Centre’s Boutique Hotel in four star luxury.

More about Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site:

The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) was listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999.This site of global significance located about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, occupies 53 000 hectares of land. Its complex of fossil-bearing caves contains a superbly preserved record of the various stages in the evolution of humankind within the past 3.5 million years which have yielded some of the most iconic fossils of extinct ancient human ancestors and relatives, and associated fauna. These include “Mrs Ples”, “Little Foot”, Australopithecus sediba, and the latest ground-breaking discovery – Homo naledi. The COH WHS is an area of outstanding universal value. As Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site, and a premier tourism destination, the site is based on the conservation, exploration and interpretation of the story of humanity and its brand value encompasses ancient history, human beginnings, adventure, discovery and a whole lot more.

There are over 400 tourism destinations and a range of eight visitor experience to enjoy within the Cradle of Humankind during your stay. These range from Heritage and Culture; adrenaline pumping outdoor adventures; wildlife encounters to a range of hotels and lodges to suit any budget.